The Village
by Mischieff
Summary: Sometime before the landsmeet, the group stops at a seemingly abandoned village, but nothing is ever what it seems. Stand-alone story. Lore consistent. All companions included with my F!Cousland Warden (Her background and story are on my profile page, same one as "What Makes a King"). Includes F!Cousland/Alistair pairing. Note: Last chapter has been split for ease of reading.
1. Chapter 1

"Why do they make everything so far part on the surface?" Oghren grumbled.

"Are you small legs getting tired my dwarven friend?" Zevran answered already knowing the answer since Oghren had been steadily complaining for most of the day. "You know, if you trimmed that beard of yours, it would lessen your weight by a stone at least."

"You're just jealous." Oghren said between huffs.

"Of the mass of hair stuck to your face? Yes, insanely. I cry myself to sleep because I do not have a similar one. Alas!"

"I'm just saying, we've been walking for days now?" Then he stopped and looked to the warden "Wait, are you lost? We aren't walking around in circles, are we?"

"Can't be." Kathryn Cousland answered. "We've been following this road in the same direction. It has to go someplace."

"I don't know. The deep roads in the days of the old empire were complicated. Story that someone sent their spouse to another thaig and told them to just keep turning left. Finally he ran out of supplies and died out there." Oghren looked up to see that most of the party had stopped walking and were looking at him with disbelief. "Well, he wasn't exactly a paragon of intelligence."

Kathryn shook her head and looked up to the sky. Mostly bright and clear but could see clouds, dark and thick, approaching and the wind was picking up. Looked like it might be bad. "Next town or tavern, we'll stop get some supplies and make camp." she said.

"Finally, someone sees reason." Oghren said, greatly relieved.

"Well," Morrigan said "It is so very hard to see from your point of view since it is so close to the ground."

"Is that supposed to be an insult? In case you haven't noticed, I'm a dwarf. Pretty much immune to 'short' jokes. Besides who cares how tall you are. The only size that matters is the size of your..."

"Oh look!" Lelianan said very loudly, "...a village up ahead."

"None too soon." Alistair said low enough for only the warden to hear.

As they looked out from the high vantage point of the highway, they could see the layout of the village. It looked to be fairly large. A tavern was just off the highway, chantry far off to the right, market square in the center of town, off the square was what appeared to be a general store and just past that the blacksmith. In the distance on the hill there seemed to be the remnants of an old watchtower.

"Hmmm..." Alistair had stopped on the highway and was looking curiously at the village. Kathryn said,

"What is it?"

"No smoke... with as cold as it is, should be fires, well... everywhere. At the very least from the tavern and blacksmith." They looked at each other with a bit of concern and then followed the rest into the square. All was still except for the rising wind.

"How odd?" Morrigan mused.

"You are no doubt referring to the apparently lack of... anything going on?" Zevran said.

"No people, no animals, no activity, no smoke, no noise, no... nothing." Wynne muttered to herself but loud enough to be heard.

"Could the place be abandoned?" Leliana said.

"Maybe," Kathryn said. "But I wonder why?"

"No sign of any attack, no bodies or weapons or any of the normal damage you would expect to see." Alistair said.

"Well, we still need supplies, hopefully they left something useful behind. Alistair, Leliana, Wynne, Oghren, check out the tavern but be quick. I don't think we should stay here any longer than we have to." As they walked out of earshot, Morrigan said.

"Do you really think it wise to send Oghren to a tavern?"

Kathryn smiled and replied "If there is anything worth finding there, he'll find it."

"Fair point."

"Come, let's take a look in the store and the blacksmith's shop."

Alistair pushed on the door to the tavern. It wasn't locked and opened a crack. He pushed it with force and the door gently swung open. "Hello!?" He called out to the darkened room.

"Do you think it is a good idea to announce our presence? Leliana asked in little more than a whisper. "If something hostile is in there, we just let it know we are here."

"Don't want to sneak up on someone. We aren't bandits." Alistair responded in a likewise low voice.

"Oh, no? We are just planning on stealing anything of use without the owners permission. Huge difference."

"No, not stealing..." as he peered into the dark "...simply taking forced contributions for ending the blight. No doubt the owners would find that a worthy goal."

"What I can't figure..." Oghren said loudly "...is why you yell into the room and then whisper to each other talking about the fact that you already yelled. Believe me as much as you two yap, if anyone is inside they know we are here and if they don't they will by the time we ransack the place."

"Please, don't let me get in between you and a potential supply of ale." Alistair said with a smile. Oghren started to say something and then stepped inside. The rest followed. As they looked around could see that while everything seemed in order it seemed deserted and had been so for a while. Wynne ran her fingers along the bar and examined the collection of dust on her fingertips.

"No one has been here for a while, or else they are not paying their housekeeper enough."

"Or too much." Leliana quipped.

"Whoever it was didn't leave in a hurry. Look all glasses put away. Looked like the place was closed for the night and never reopened. We should check out the upstairs rooms."

"I'll go." Leliana said.

"I'll check out the bar." said Oghren.

"Big surprise there." Alistair said to himself. Wynne smiled to herself and said.

"We'll check out the bar and kitchen, but honestly it doesn't look like much is left."

"There isn't much left, at least not anything of any use." Morrigan said as she looked through the shelves inside the general store. The place was intact but empty.

"Not so fast, my dear." Zevran called out from the back room. "I seem to have hit the jackpot, as it were." The others found him on the floor with a couple of the floor boards removed and reaching through the hole. Within moments and with difficulty, he pulled out a strongbox. "Either it is full or the owner has an impressive rock collection." He examined the lock, pulled out a pick and within moments had the lock sprung. He opened the chest to reveal several stacks of gold coins, a few gems and various pieces of jewelry."

"Lovely." Morrigan said as she fingered over several of the nicer pieces.

"Now, why would the owner not take this with them?" Zevern wondered as he counted the coins.

"Not have time to collect, but it doesn't look like the place was left in a hurry. Planning on coming back for it?" Kathryn mused. "Perhaps not going anyplace they would need it? Very odd."

"Even more odd," Zevran said as he looked up from the coins "...any bandit worth his wage would have found this, with the place empty as long as it must have been, I have to wonder why they did not."

Alistair pushed open the door on the last of the tavern rooms. Leliana had her bow drawn but it was like the rest of the rooms, neat but empty. After they went through the drawers Alistair nervously turned to Leliana.

"You and her weren't really talking about my... you know... performance, were you? You were just kidding me, right? I'm getting used to it... but if you were... actually talking about that... I mean, she didn't really say anything... giggle-worthy, did she? If she did, you'd tell me, right?"

Leliana took a moment so as to not laugh, when she was sure she was composed, she looked towards him "I..."

"Not that I'm worried... really..." Alistair said. "...just if she did say something... I'd want to know... I think, I would." He looked away and then back to Leliana "I just want her to be... happy with... me."

Leliana smiled and thanked the Maker that she could tell him the truth. "She 'is' very happy with you, especially that part."

"Oh, good... not that I was worried or anything... we should get downstairs." He started to walk out of the room and then stopped. "And if she asks... I... so much more than I ever thought... I..."

Leliana smiled and touched his arm, and thought a little lie won't hurt. "That's what I told her."

"The forge is out." Zevran pointed to the forge. "A blacksmith never lets the forge go out, not a good sign."

"Not that we've seen any of those." Morrigan said. Sten looked over the armory.

"No useable weapons or armor."

"Forge burnt itself out, ash is even cold. That takes a long time." Kathryn nervously paced along the floor.

"Nothing here. Let's go." They stepped outside and started towards the square. Morrigan looked around when something caught her eye. She stopped.

"Curious." Morrigan mumbled.

"Do tell?" Kathryn said as she looked in the direction of Morrigan's attention.

"I know that at some point I shall regret mentioning this but, it appears that there are lights in the chantry." They all looked in that direction and she was right. Small points of lights could be seen through the chantry windows.

"If candles then must have been lit after the rest of the village was abandoned." Kathryn said.

"I think I was mistaken."

"I shall alert the town crier, figuratively speaking, of course." Zevran said. Morrigan decided not to respond and continued.

"I already regret saying anything."

Oghren finished going through the bar, nothing there. He looked up as Wynne came back from the kitchen. "Anything? Really hoping for a spit roasted nug with hot sauce or at least ten kegs of ale."

"No such luck. Pots and pans but no food at all. The cellar door is locked however, so not all hope is lost."

"If locked, must be a reason, anything good will be there."

"Yes, have to wait for Leliana to return to unlock the door. They have been gone a while."

"Yeah, if it was anyone else I'd figure up there bucking the bronto, but not the boy, he's... a good one... figures don't it."

"What does?" Wynne said.

"The one he claims does little more than get himself killed while the one he won't have anything to do with is helping save the whole sodding country... the whole sodding world. He's the type to be proud of. If I had a..."

"Nothing up there." Alistair said as he bounded down the stairs. "Neat and empty, not even blankets on the beds. They took everything."

"Do you think they might have abandoned the village because of the blight?" Wynne asked.

"Possible, but this is much farther north than the horde is even now, much less when they left." Alistair said considering.

"Fear does make people do stupid things." Oghren mumbled. Wynne looked at Oghren for a moment and then back to the other two.

"Kitchen is empty too but there is a locked cellar, if anything is here, figure that is where it would be."

"That's me!" Leliana said with fake cheeriness and proceeded to the back. The rest followed. She looked at the lock, took out a pick and started to work.

Alistair looked around and then stopped and tilted his head to the side and closed his eyes. Wynne took a concerned look and then gently asked,

"What is it?" He looked back to her.

"Nothing... but... do you... hear that?

"Damn! Almost got it." Leliana took out a different pick.

"What?" Wynne said.

"Got it!" There was a loud click. Leliana stood in triumph and with effort opened the door. There was a rush of humid, musty air.

"It sounds..." Alistair said. "...almost like... singing."

The great chantry doors opened. The group stood and looked into the main hall of the chantry. The place was quiet and still, except for the dozens of candles in the front of the hall that fluttered slightly in the rising wind whipping in from outside. They walked inside, peering into the shadows and looking into each side room and corner but the place was empty. The walked up the stairs and examined the candles. "These will burn for a day at most." Morrigan said. "They must have been lit earlier today or yesterday at earliest."

"Whoever it was not interested in coin." Zevran appeared standing outside what appeared to be a study. "The chantry treasure is untouched. No one has even tried to open it. Still coins in donation box. Now the strongbox in the store might have been overlooked but all know about this."

"So," Kathryn said "Either we have religious bandits or no one interesting in coin has been here. But why didn't the priest take it when they left? Unless... they didn't leave."

Alistair picked up the lantern hanging by the cellar door, checked and it still have some oil in it. He looked around searching for a way to light it. "Here, let me, dear." Wynne said and flicked her finger and the lantern came to life. He adjusted the flame and stepped down to the first stair. The creak it gave echoed, then they all did hear something. Leliana drew her bow and notched an arrow. Alistair looked suspiciously at her.

"Careful with that, its close in here. Just don't shoot me, okay."

"I'll try not to."

"I do hear something," Wynne said. "A hum?"

"Probably just rats." Oghren said but seemed uncomfortable.

"Rats?" Alistair said.

"Not afraid of rats are you, son?"

"No, I had a rat for a pet once. He could do this trick... not my point. Point is rats don't hum. It isn't a rat or even a lot of rats, its something else." He slowly made his way down the stairs. The cellar was about the same size as the main floor of the tavern. There were rows of shelves and racks along each side of the main room. They peered down each aisle.

"Now, I hear humming." Leliana said. They made there way to the end of the room and nothing. The room was empty. Leliana put the bow down. "It seems rather anti-climactic, doesn't it?"

"Climactic, huh?" Oghren said. Alistair looked around.

"I still hear humming. Its coming from over there." He started walking to the far corner, as he approached the corner stayed dark. He stopped. "Doorway. There is another room on the other side." Alistair, unshealthed his sword. Leliana drew her bow. Alistair took a step and then with the lantern leading the way turned the corner. "Maker's Blood!"


	2. Chapter 2

Alistair snatched the lantern back and spun around blocking the small doorway. "Alistair, what is it?" Leliana pleaded.

"What's wrong? What's there?" Wynne said at nearly the same time. Oghren simply took a step back and said low

"By the Stone."

"The villagers..." Alistair said and then took a deep breath, "...they didn't leave. They died. They... are in there."

"Oh! Dear Maker!" Leliana said. Wynne turned away and rubbed her forehead, then looked towards Alistair but not at him.

"What happened? Can you tell?"

"I don't... I think they are... were sick. It could be anything, plague or even someone worse... Please, get upstairs. I'll check it out."

"Plague! No, we all have to get out of here, now!" Leliana said.

"No, the taint, it makes me immune to... everything. I'll check it out, but please get upstairs." Wynne looked at him suspiciously.

"But, Alistiar, I can't..." she started.

"Please." He said without looking at her.

"Allright." She finally said and started walking back towards the stairs. Leliana looked at Alistair who nodded.

"I won't be long." She reluctantly followed Wynne. Oghren didn't move. He waited till he heard the creak of the stairs, and then he looked up to Alistair.

"No, I'm not going upstairs. They are too tall. They didn't see what you did, but I saw. One of the things they tell you before you go into the deep roads is how to spot the signs, so you'll know. I saw that they are tainted, corrupted and that... ancestors preserve us, but they aren't all dead." Alistair nodded. Oghren continued, "...they also tell you there is no help for it. All you can do is make is quick. Alistair looked to him. "Come on, son. Waiting isn't going to make it any easier." Alistair said something under his breath and then turned and shone the lantern light around the room.

Bodies were piled up along the far wall of the room, most were no more than skeletons. Others lined the walls, many no longer moved but some reacted to the light and noise, cringing and turning away from them. As he shone the light around until it rested on one woman who was sitting up, staring into the pile singing to herself, no more than a dull hum, and rocking gently. She turned towards the light.

Alistair walked over to the woman. She turned her head to the side looking up at him then she said in a voice that was no more than a harsh whisper, "You... you aren't one of... them." He knelt beside her. Her face overtaken by the corruption twisted oddly, and Alistair realized that she was trying to smile. "You came." she said in way that bespoke of relief. "Finally, you came, but... you're too late." Alistair gently asked.

"What happened?" She looked into space for a long moment and then,

"They said... we would be safe in here... lock us in and they would go for help. They said... that someone would come... not be long they said... but it's been so long. We thought... we thought we had escaped but... we still got sick... one by one... and so hungry, so long, so sick... And the singing... always the singing... I... just want it to... stop. You will make it stop, yes?" Alistair swallowed hard and said.

"Yes, I... promise I will make it stop."

"Thank you."

"You were hiding from the darkspawn? They are what made everyone sick." She looked to him suddenly and said in hushed confidence.

"No, no, from him... he... he brings death."

"So," Kathryn said "...just to restate the obvious, someone had to been here to light the candles within the last day or so."

"Does not mean they are still here or at all connected to the village. It could have been someone like us," Zevran said "...someone just passing through, lit the candles and then continued on their merry way."

"Yes, but why light the candles and not even check the contents of the donation box?" she asked.

"Perhaps a... no, I have nothing." He admitted. Kathryn looked back to the lights and said to herself.

"Who lit the candles and why?"

"I lit them." They all quickly turned in the direction of the admission and saw a boy standing just inside the doorway. His head was down, looking at the floor. "That was my job, to light the candles every day. And... I did, even when people started getting sick. Most died but some... just got sicker and sicker and then they came after the rest of us and I... had to hide. I hid here, up in the spire. They couldn't get to me there. They surrounded the village. Some went for help but they... they didn't make it to the highway. I watched. Everyone hid but they got sick too. I heard them... screaming and then they would sing. They said someone would come. I tried to wait but I... was the only one left. I just didn't want to be alone anymore." The boy raised his head to look at them and then they could see that the corruption had taken over his face. "I'm sorry." He said. Behind him the first ones began to enter the chantry.

"What are they doing down there?" Leliana said as she paced the floor of the kitchen. They had come upstairs but were reluctant to get out of earshot, in case they were needed. Wynne considered, something was very wrong, Alistair's story had made sense and she would have bought it if... he didn't already know that she was dead. They both looked up from their separate thoughts at the sounds of hurried footsteps and the creaking of the stairs. Alistair appeared obviously upset.

"We have to find Kathryn and get out of here."

"Alistair, what's..." Wynne started. But he interrupted her.

"No time to explain!" They followed him out of the kitchen to the main room of the tavern but stopped short as they saw that the place was inhabited by more than a dozen ghouls, standing, waiting for them. "Okay, maybe there is time to explain... the villagers have all turned into flesh-eating corrupted ghouls."

"Oh," Wynne said, "...is that all."

Oghren took out his axe and said "Always up to me to make the first move." With a roar he attacked slicing the nearest one nearly in two. The rest were awakened from their stupor. Leliana jumped up onto the bar and started firing and kicking the nearest ones off the bar. She yelled between shots.

"How do we kill them?" Alistair got behind his shield and pushed the mob back, giving them room to fight. Once he had most of the ghouls attention, he yelled back to Leliana.

"Preferably quickly!" Wynne got into a position behind the bar, monitoring the health of the others. Leliana said while keeping up her rate of fire.

"You know this reminds me of this time at this noble's birthday party, I got the ladies to all dance on the tables and then one of the ladies starting auctioning off articles of her clothing…"

"Dear, this really isn't the time for this." Wynne chastised.

"Hush, woman. I want to hear the rest." Oghren said as he hacked another one. Alistair took a quick count, there were still only four of them but more ghouls than when they started. He looked to the door and could see that more were coming in faster than they could kill them. It really would be a good time for a plan B, if he had one.

Kathryn started firing as Zevran vaulted the stairs to join her and Morrigan on the higher platform in the front of the chantry leading to the statue of Andraste. Sten took out his sword and waited. While he didn't put much faith in magic or a rogue's poisons or bombs, he didn't want to hit by either.

Zevran launched a series of bombs towards the door and then pulled out his bow. "Morrigan," Kathryn said as she continued firing, "Anytime!" The temperature in the room dropped as a blast of cold shot from Morrigan's hands. The blast enveloped the ghouls. A couple seemed slowed by the cold but most continued to march towards them.

"Well, that was… unexpected." Morrigan said as she wiped the frost from her hands.

"And bloodly useless too." Zevran said.

"Sten, your turn!" with an angry roar Sten charged. "Zev, keep them off him and one more thing…" she said as he pulled out his daggers. "Try not to get eaten."

"Eaten?!" he said with considerable alarm. "Oh boy." He jumped from the stairs to the chantry floor, rolled and came up slashing.

"There are too many!" Leliana said. She had stopped firing and was now completely occupied with keeping the ghouls from crawling up onto and over the bar. Alistair and Oghren fell back as the room continued to fill up.

"We have to get out of here!" Alistair said.

"Upstairs?" Wynne asked hopeful.

"Too high." He answered. Then, "Wynne, fireball the door!"

"But… the wood… the place will ignite."

"If you don't, we're overrun. Do it!" Alistair stepped in front raising his shield as they all turned away. The explosion rocked the structure and seemed to suck all the air from the room. Everything was on fire, tables, chairs, walls, floor and ceiling but the ghouls had been momentarily staggered and the doorway was clear. "Go! Go!" Alistair yelled. Oghren ran and swung his axe, knocking down the last couple that were trying to get to their feet. Leliana made it through and then waited for Wynne to go ahead of her and then helped her to maneuver the bodies and reaching limbs. Oghren forced his way through as the smoke began to overtake him. He got clear of the building. He looked back in time to see Alistair run out as the front wall and ceiling of the tavern collapsed. Alistair staggered to the others, taking his helmet off. The side of his face and neck were a deep red. Wynne reached up to heal the burn but Alistair waved her off. "I have to find Kathryn!"

"They were going for supplies… the store?" Leliana said.

"Uh... I'd say the chantry is a better bet." Oghren replied. The rest turned to see the chantry being overrun. Ghouls crowding the entrance. Alistair started running. "Wait!" Oghren said. Alistair stopped but didn't turn around. He took another step and then turned to him. "I have an idea."

"Nothing affects them!" Morrigan called to Kathryn who had abandoned the bow for the daggers. "All entropy useless! Nature does nothing and cold is nearly as so!"

"You could try batting your eyelashes." Kathryn said. Morrigan wanted to glare but Kathryn was too occupied to look at her.

"Well," she thought "I still have one trick left." She jumped off the top step and landed crushing three beneath her bulk and then slammed the nearest two who had stopped attacking, apparently surprised at the sudden appearance of a bear in the chantry.

Kathryn knew that Morrigan had only bought them a little time. More and more poured in and they were losing ground. These things were stronger than normal people and harder to take down. Most only fought with hands and blindly but they made up for it in sheer numbers. A few however had heavy armor and fought with weapons. They simply couldn't keep this up. There was no way to get to the door.

Then the sound of breaking glass drowned out all else as one of the great stained glass windows shattered. They looked to see Oghren cutting through the window pane weakening the supports. "Morrigan! The window!" she yelled. The Morrigan-bear brushed a couple ghouls out of her way and then put her entire bulk into the window frame. They heard the crack of the wood as the wall and supports gave way and Morrigan-bear pushed through.

"Zevran! Go!" Zevran looked to her and hesitated but knew that was a voice not to be questioned. He dived and rolled and then followed Morrigan. "Sten! Go!" Sten looked back but made no move to the door. "Sten! Now!" Sten still made no move towards the opening. "Sten! Together on three." Sten nodded. "One, two, three!" both of them turned and ran to the door. Kathryn got there first and stood waiting for Sten when Alistair grabbed her arm and pulled her through. Sten was a step behind. Alistair kept pulling her farther away from the building. As they ran past Wynne she unleashed a fireball through the window. They kept running as the screams from the burning and dying ghouls followed them.

Leliana made her way to the market square. She knew that together they had a chance but still they needed a position to make a stand, to control the attack of these creatures. She surveyed the area. Sten ran up behind her. After a beat they both pointed to a space between two houses that opened up behind them to what was once a field and was backed by a steep hill. There was enough room to fight, only one entrance and a wall behind them. "There." They said.

Sten looked around and then said "Tables." And ran towards the market circle. He picked up two tables and carried them to the alley setting them up as barricades. Leliana grabbed an empty crate and followed. The rest were close behind and followed them down the alley and began to set up behind the buildings. Wynne fled to the far back and began setting up potions for ease of use. Leliana set up her crate off to the left, stashed most of her supply of arrows and then made her way back to the front. Zevran took position by the entrance, lining up his remaining grenades. Oghren and Sten took their positions on each side of the clearing entrance and applied salves. Morrigan was behind them.

The last to arrive were Alistair and Kathryn. She stopped at the entrance, clenching his hand for a moment before releasing it. He then took his position in front of Sten and Oghren. She turned to Zev, but before she could speak he said, "I was thinking, a nice firestorm when the mob reaches the entrance to the blacksmith shop. Then hit them with the rest of these." He motioned to the grenades he had lined up. "Then bow till I can smell them and then retreat to hide behind the warriors and then be my normal charming backstabbing stealthy assassin self."

"Good plan." Kathryn said as she got out her bow. "Add to that a bit about watching the girls."

"Don't I always? Oh, I guess you mean keeping them safe. I can do that too." He said with a smile. "Of course that leaves you to watch the boys as it were. Nice. Wynne! Now!" He yelled. Leliana came up and stood next to Kathryn. They brought their bows up. They watched as a firestorm engulfed the market square. Everything flammable burst into flames. The ghouls there caught fire, screaming and falling to the ground. As the storm dissipated, Zevran hurled the last few grenades. As they hit, Leliana and Kathryn let lose their arrows. Wave after wave of arrows but more ghouls crawled over the fallen bodies and barricade but they were slowed and staggered.

"Fall back, now!" Kathryn said as the three rogues ran back to their positions behind the warriors. Kathryn caught Alistair's eye as she passed, throwing the bow aside and drawing her daggers. Leliana jumped up on top of her crate while Zevran positioned in front of her and Wynne. Morrigan could see the mob approach and shapshifted to her bear form. As the first of the mob got to the entrance, Alistair made sure that he had their attention watching as head after corrupted head turned to target him. "My mark." He said as Sten and Oghren nodded. He watched as the mob hit the entrance falling over the barricades and then crawling over.

"Alistair?" Kathryn said.

"Yes," he replied. "I know." Then the first ones emerged from the alley to the field. "Now!" he cried.


	3. Chapter 3

With sound and fury the three warriors hit the wall of ghouls pouring in from the alley. But quickly there were more than even they could take, by ones and twos they got past them. Leliana kept up a steady rate of fire. Morrigan-bear slammed each one within range. Zevran's daggers flashed here and there with deadly results. And above all they could hear Leliana's voice singing.

Kathryn ran past all, diving down and then appearing beside Alistair. He sliced off the head of the stunned ghoul next to him and then dropped back into a more defensive stance. He shouted above the din, to make sure he had the ghouls' attention. His shield cut through the air stunning the next. She drove her dagger into its unprotected neck, dropping it almost at once. They fought well together. A system where he drew the attention of the enemy, played a defensive game stunning and knocking back if not down, letting her finish them off while she attacked, backstabbed, crippled and weakened, if not outright killed, allowing his attacks to be fewer but better, stronger, and used to best effect. It was a system that had nearly turned into a dance. "About time." He said. She wanted to come back with a sufficiently good retort but was soon too occupied with ghouls to think of one.

Wynne looked over the fight from her vantage point in the back. The others were keeping up but barely. She monitored their health closely. If they were to survive, she had to keep them up and fighting. Kathryn and Alistair were fine and would look out for each other. Oghren was avoiding getting overwhelmed, his smaller size being a distinct advantage. Zevran flickered in and out of sight. Leliana was safely out of range for the moment. Morrigan-bear was keeping up. Then she saw Sten. She had not thought him to be the most vulnerable but he was. He was stronger than Oghren but a much bigger target and he needed more room to swing his sword and attack. She could see the blood and sweat coming off of him and how his attacks and attempts at defense were being thwarted. She sent him healing, but watched as it was sapped. She cast health regeneration, but it wasn't enough. She wanted to get the others' attention to send help but all of them had as much as they could handle.

"Leliana! Sten!" she said.

"I know!" was the response, arrows flew around him. He had to resort to hand combat. She finally cast a life ward. As soon she cast it, it took effect but it wasn't enough. She had nothing else. She watched him fall.

Morrigan-bear saw the ghouls overtake Sten. She tried to get to him, but speed was not virtue of these animals. She was at least able to get the mob off of him and could see that while he was unconscious, he was breathing. But the mob now turned its attention to her, jumping on her back, attacking her, putting their weight against her and preventing her from moving. She felt the hands, the bodies piling upon her, pulling her down. She turned back to herself and tried to cast a spell but there were too many and then everything went black.

Zevran tried to keep up with the number attacking the Morrigan-bear but her bulk made that an impossibility. He saw the flash as she returned to her more beautiful form. Then was able to free her from their grasp. He grabbed her, taking a quick feel in the process and pulled her back to where Leliana and Wynne were. He didn't stop but unceremoniously dropped her there and then returned to his position. Wynne, gently laid her hand upon Morrigan's face, moving a stray hair from it. The magic flowed from her, just enough to wake her. She snatched her hand back before Morrigan's eyes opened and she realized what had happened.

At this point, Alistair could do little more than block. Most of them couldn't get past his shield to reach him but all his attention was taken with the several with weapons and heavy armor. The rest he had to leave to Kathryn. He had to keep up, as long as he stood they would come after him, if he fell, she was next and would be quickly overcome. He blocked another blow, absorbed it into him but he had taken so many already. He was wearing down. He looked up to see Kathryn's dagger emerge from its chest. That's my girl. He thought with a smile. They didn't pay her much attention. It made her the more dangerous. But that attack had gotten attention. He saw the flash of the mace as it swung up, she was pulling her dagger out from the body and didn't see it and was unprepared. It came up catching her leg, pulling it out from under her, before she even hit the ground the others were on top of her.

He pushed through, knocking the mace-wielder to the ground and burring his sword into its chest and nearly falling over in the process. He pulled out the sword and then started knocking the others from her. She reached up blindly. He took her arm and tried to pull her up, but her leg collapsed under her. He picked her up and pulled her back. His strength started to give and then he felt the rush. "Thank you, Wynne." he murmured. Less gently than he wanted he pushed her through the mob to relative safety and then turned back to the line.

Kathryn screamed over the roar "Zev, get on Alistair." Zevran followed Alistair thinking that he never thought he'd hear her say that. He had watched the two of them fight and knew what would be expected of him and how effective it could be. It was beautiful, truly, what they did, much like dancing. Their love making must be incredible, he thought and then the appearance of a ghoul in his way brought his attention back to the less pleasant topic of survival.

Kathryn struggled to her feet, well... her foot. Her knee was gone. "Leliana, trade!" Leliana threw her the bow, jumped down from her vantage point on the crate and while pulling out her daggers ran towards the battle. Taking up a position behind the others, taking opportunistic backstabs, finishing those already weakened and making sure none got past her and doing her best to not get hit. Kathryn took her place on the crate and fired as quickly as she could into the mob.

Zevran ran up to the line slashing as fast as he could. Oghren looked over "Fighting with the big boys, huh?"

"Not sure how to take that, coming as it is from you of all people." Zevran said.

"More 'short' jokes." Oghren grumbled.

Morrigan felt the rain as it started to come down hard. "Morrigan! Rain!" Kathryn yelled. Morrigan thought it a very odd time for a weather report. She looked up to see that Kathryn had replaced Leliana on the crate and said with no small amount of annoyance

"I fail to see your point..."

Kathryn responded "Rain... water... ground... ice!"

"Oh," Morrigan said. She stood and looked to Wynne who without a word tossed her a couple strong lyrim potions. She could see that Wynne's hands had a slight glow to them. Too much lyrim. Flemeth had warned her about its effects and the dangers of becoming reliant upon it but now was an exception. She downed the potion, felt the burn and then the charge. She ran towards the back of the house along the alley and jumped towards it. When she landed she was a spider and quickly scaled the wall and over it. She lowered herself to the ground on the other side. She webbed the closest to her, then changed back. She raised her hands and watched the ice form around her fingertips. She pressed them to the ground. Ice spread quickly through the wet ground, freezing the standing water until the entire square was covered by ice. The ghouls slipped and fell, slowed and staggered. She took another potion and transformed to the spider again and crawled back over the house just out of the grasp of the ghouls who had managed to reach her. She maneuvered over the roof but her weight, the rain, the moss and neglect caused the shingles to give. She fell to the ground.

Wynne's hands were shaking now, too much lyrim. She was not used to supporting the entire group. The potions were losing their effectiveness and she was in real danger of an overdose. She saw the ice over the market square and then Morrigan-spider fall off the roof and that she did not get up. She surveyed the group. Sten was out, Kathryn crippled, Alistair was weakening, Oghren even with his dwarven constitution was failing, Zevran and Leliana tiring. She could feel the spirit just there, waiting, watching. Alistair went down to one knee. Oghren staggered back. She closed her eyes and simply said "Please."

Kathryn saw the light come from Wynne and felt the rush of energy circling her and then penetrate her knee. She jumped down from the crate landing on both feet. She ran to Sten just as he began to sit up. "Sten, have to push them now!" Sten got to his feet and with a growl ran after her. "Leliana!" She looked back to her just in time to catch her bow and in nearly one motion began to fire. Kathryn took out her daggers. "Zev, I want my man back. You take Oghren!"

"Life is so unfair." Zevran said to no one in particular. Oghren felt the rush and started swinging. She got to Alistair, he was still on one knee. She slashed the one charging him, spinning him with the blow. Alistair swung his sword up, cutting deep into its chest. As he pulled his sword back, he stood and bashed the next one. She ran just past him and spun back digging her dagger deep into its back. She caught Alistair's eye.

"We have to push now! Lost mages." They hit the alley swinging, pushing the remaining ghouls out to the market square. Zevran made it through first. He could see the ice had mostly melted with the additional rain. Standing water was everywhere, and despite all they had defeated they were still greatly outnumbered. He checked his grenades. He had used all fire, acid was no good, cold useless, but shock... kills everything, especially in water! But it was tricky to pull off. You had to have the right place, enough water, and then the timing of it all and even then it was impossible to do from safety. He took all three into his hand. Oghren ran up beside him and taking stock began to run.

"No, my short friend. Let me and keep the rest back."

"You're not going to do something stupid are you?" Oghren said suspiciously.

"What would every make you think that?" Zevran said as he started to run. The rest came up to the edge of the entrance.

"What..." Kathryn said.

"I think the elf is about to do something stupid... or brave... probably both." Oghren said.

Zevran ran to the middle of the square dodging the ghouls in his way. He stopped at a large puddle. He took all three bombs and smashed them together right above it. The sound was of thunder, the flash intense as the charge hit the water. It was enough to blind most of the ghouls by itself. Then the lighting traveled through the water, jumping from puddle to puddle and from ghoul to ghoul, creating the effect of chain lightening but more powerful, a lightening field. The entire area sparkled. It was beautiful. I've always wanted to try that, Zevran thought before he collapsed.

Oghren didn't understand till the flash. Stupid elf, he thought, stupid sodding elf. He felt the rage hit him, he took out a salve of grounding. Boy, he hoped this stuff worked. He started running, stupid sodding elf! He felt the lighting but kept going. He knew if he stopped he'd die. He hit the dry ground, every stray piece of wood, each stone or tuft of grass. Stupid sodding elf, he kept repeating to himself, as he dodged the ghouls twitching and yelling in pain. He saw him, by the Stone he had the luck of the ancestors in that he had fallen not on the ground but on a wooden table. He grabbed him in mid stride and kept running. Lightening all around. He was low enough that most missed him but not all. Too many more of those, he thought, he'd probably wet himself but then again not be the first time. The elf was alive. He could hear him moan over each rock. He ground his teeth together, almost there he thought and then he stumbled.

The pain was sharp, like getting hit by thousands of needles each second but each time they seemed to be farther and farther away then nothing. Then a dull ache, icy cold water on him, and the feeling of the ground being slammed up against him. He forced himself to look up. Sten stood there. Zevran looked up with a questioning glance. Sten's eyes moved off to the side. Zevran followed the gaze. Oghren laid on the ground, breathing hard. He looked up and met his eyes "Stupid... sodding... elf!" he said.

Zevran laid back and said "Oghren, I have something I must confess to you."

"Elf, if you say..."

"I think you have the most beautiful beard in all of Thedas."

"Ha. I... knew you... were... jealous."

The group watched as the electricity finally spent itself out. A few had fallen but all were weakened. Kathryn started to count them and then realized she really didn't want to know. "Sten,"

"I'll take right." he said.

"Go. Leliana..."

"I'll cover him. You two kids have fun." Then she followed Sten. The ghouls had recovered from the lightening and where now marching towards them. She looked to Alistair,

"After you. What do they say 'Age before beauty.'"

"Uh, you are older than I am, you know." He said with a grin.

"Say that again and I'll let you get eaten."

"No, you won't." He smiled that smile of his and then replaced his helmet and charged, bashing the closest ones to the left. She wanted to be annoyed at his confidence in her affection for him but couldn't. She smiled to herself and followed him.

This was better, Sten thought. He had room to fight, he could see, he could move, parry, dodge, target and slash. Here he could plan his steps and attacks. Here in space his strength and height were an asset. He tore through the remaining ghouls in front of him. One hit, one dead. He could feel the wind from the arrows as they flew past him, some barely missing him but he knew that was by design and skill rather than luck. Soon he saw the pattern to her strikes and could plan. One after another fell at his blade.

Leliana could feel the blood running down her arm from her hands. Fingers were raw, cut and bleeding, blisters upon blisters, callouses had split open. She understood these things but kept firing. She did not let the pain and the swelling in her joints affect her aim. She had learned how to block out pain and how to compensate for the stiffness in her hands. That was one thing the Orlesian guard had taught her. She ran out of arrows, and had to stop to pull each one from a body. So she made each shot count. She also knew that she had to keep Sten on his feet. She could not let him get surrounded, not allow him to be taken down. There were too many and only four of them who could still fight. Chess had been a favorite game in Orlais and she could play it quite well. She knew that in that game as in real battles at times you must sacrifice one for the sake of all and different battles required different pieces and skills. This was a warrior's fight, one of mass slaughter and not finesse. She saw as more targeted him. She couldn't keep up the rate of fire, not enough useful arrows. She pulled out the daggers and attacked.

Sten turned to see Leliana next to him. He started to swing but cut it short, not wanting to hit her. "Oh, don't mind me. You fight, I'll get out of the way, trust me. I got your back. Go!" She said as she sliced through another ghoul. He was unsure of this but he knew that you must trust those you fight with, be willing to die with and for them. She could get to safety and fire without risk, but she now chose to fight by his side. Trust must be earned but can only be so once given. He swung with all his might, she rolled out of the way, two fell at the blow while another at his back fell from her dagger. This was acceptable, he thought.

Alistair and Kathryn continued their dance. She would cripple one as he bashed and stunned another then they without a word or sign would switch, her backstabbing the stunned ghoul as he cut through the crippled one then they would move on to the next before the first ones had even hit the ground. He would attack leaving himself open to attack knowing that she would protect him. She would strike instead of blocking knowing he would defend her. The trust complete, the knowledge intimate, the timing perfect, the result unmatched.

She knew that with sword and shield he was a warrior unequaled but each blow he took she could see its effect on him, there is only so much anyone can take. She would rather suffer the blows herself than watch his struggle but there was nothing she could do but fight and pray. She couldn't lose him, not in this fight, not ever.

After what seemed an age, she turned to find Sten standing in front of her, bloodied and exhausted but standing. They looked around but the four of them were the only ones standing. "Leliana?!"

"I'm looking!" Leliana crawled up on top of the store and surveyed the village. They waited, holding position and looked around. They listened but there was only the sound of the wind and rain. "Clear. All clear!" She said, sounding like she would cry in relief. Sten, without letting go of his weapon, fell to one knee and then fell down to the ground.

Kathryn turned to Alistair. His head was bowed and shield down. Then he staggered back. She grabbed him, steadying him. "Stay with me. It's over."

"Over? That means we won right?" he asked in a voice dreamy and weak.

"Yes, we won." She said quietly.

"Yeah us." he said and then his legs gave out. She tried to hold him up but she was too exhausted. She could do little more than break his fall. He sat up with head bowed. She thought to lean him back but his breathing was labored. She took off his helmet. He was bleeding from a blow to the head. He was conscious but barely. She sat down next to him, facing the other direction.

She gently took her hand to the side of his head and pulled it to her. He didn't resist and laid his head on her shoulder. He wrapped his arm around her waist. He took a deep breath and slowly allowed his weight to rest against her, as he did his breathing eased. She wrapped her arm around him and looked around. She saw Wynne and Morrigan emerge from the alley. Oghren and Zevran were now sitting up. Leliana sat down hard on the ground and put her head down. She could hear Sten breathing. All moved, all were alive, they had all survived.

"Kathryn?" Alistair said weakly.

"Yes," She whispered in his ear. "I know."


	4. Chapter 4

Kathryn felt Wynne's hand on her shoulder and opened her eyes. "Are you alright, dear?" She looked around. Some time had passed and the rain had stopped. She looked up to see Wynne looking at her with concern.

"Yes, I'm fine, but Alistair is hurt."

"I'm alright, really." he said and with effort raised his head from her shoulder.

"No, you're not." She said and turned to Wynne "He is having trouble breathing and his head..." Wynne looked to the wound on the side of his head.

"That's nasty." She said and took out a salve and gently applied it.

"At least, I didn't damage anything important." he said.

"Least of all your self-deprecating sense of humor." Wynne said. She put a hand on his neck. "Lungs are fine and will clear." She took out a potion from her bag and handed it to him. "Drink this." Alistair looked at it suspiciously.

"You know what happened the last time someone told me that." Wynne smiled and then turned to Kathryn.

"And you?"

"I'm fine." Kathryn said more concerned with Alistair.

"That's my job to determine. How's the knee?" She didn't wait for a reply but put a hand on the side of her leg, held it there for a moment and then again on her shin. "It's healed but wrap it up for a while. And you both need 'rest' tonight." Kathryn noted the emphasis on the word 'rest.'

"Are the others alright?" She asked changing the subject. Wynne looked up and looked to each.

"Sten is exhausted but fine. Leliana's hands are... horrible but will heal. Morrigan is bruised and sore but nothing is broken. Oghren will be fine, he just needs some rest. Zevran... will.. be fine but it will take a day or two or perhaps more."

"And you?" Kathryn asked. Wynne smiled and looked at her hands. They were no longer shaking but there was still a faint cast to her skin.

"I will be." She said with a sigh.

"Thank you, Wynne." Wynne smiled and put a hand on Kathryn's shoulder and one on Alistair's as she left to check on the others.

Alistair downed the potion. "You think they could make these things taste better." He put the bottle down, closed his eyes and let the medicine work. When he opened them, they were clear and alert. He looked around and then suddenly noticed that his hand was resting suggestively on the top of Kathryn's thigh. "Oh! I... didn't... I'm sorry." He said as he pulled his hand back. He looked around, apparently to see if his violation of propriety had been witnessed, oblivious to the fact that it had been like that since the end of the battle.

"It's all right." She assured him. "It isn't like 'WE' are a big secret."

"I know but... I don't want to... paw at you like you're some..." he stopped not really knowing how to finish the sentence and then thought better of trying. "At least not in public." He said with head and voice low. "It isn't the way I was taught to treat someone... especially since you're... in charge. I... I don't want you... or anyone to think I don't... you know... just because we are..."

"I don't. They don't." At least, she didn't think they did. They still followed orders and didn't treat her any differently and honestly she wasn't concern with what they thought. "But... no doubt my mother would be completely scandalized by the unladylike and compromising situation I am currently in. I mean nearly rolling around on the ground with some commoner... warden... templar... man... in front of people! What will all the noble ladies say?! No way to get me married off now!" She said with fake horror and with a wide smile.

"Well, I do have royal blood... wait... does that make it better or worse?" He asked unsure.

"Both, actually. So very much more scandalous and damaging to my reputation but the better to gossip about."

"Oh. Great." He said rolling his eyes. She smiled and then looked thoughtful.

"The way I see it, at this point, if my value and reputation are judged by my 'virtue' or its lack I have completely failed as a person and a warden." He considered. She didn't talk about her family or her life before and as much as he didn't want to push or pry, he was curious and asked gently.

"Would she really disapprove of... us?" He asked. Kathryn slightly winced. She didn't like thinking about her family and her life before the blight. It was too painful and there was too much to do. But he deserved an answer and she had brought the subject up. She considered the question carefully and then her answer and said.

"Not of you. She'd have loved you and father would have too and if... you ever get to meet Fergus, you'll understand and see I speak the truth about that." She smiled. "They both just wanted me to be happy. They had made such a good match and were so happy together..." She thought back and with more than a touch of bitterness. "...they wanted that for both me and Fergus."

"Father knew I'd never be happy with just anyone, no matter how much property they had or how powerful they were. He never insisted." She said with no little amount of gratitude. "He wanted me to make my own choice, find the right person for me. Someone of worth and character that I could love and respect and who would love and respect me."

"But mother was more practical and wanted me to make a good match, which for a noble includes considerations of rank and property. You want someone who can support a family and support them well." She said matter of factly. "She tried to match me up with every suitable noble in Thedas. But so many of them just wanted to marry me because of my family, not because of... me. I know that she only wanted me to be taken care of and have a life and family of my own and not just hang around the castle." She smiled. "So to answer your question, as a potential match for her daughter and a provider for her grandchildren, the fact that you are a Grey Warden without a silver in your purse nor property of your own, would not have thrilled her." She admitted. He looked down in disappointment.

"But... I'm not a noble lady anymore, but a warden fighting against a blight. So the consideration of rank and property don't really matter and such things as character and courage and heart and strength and intelligence do all the more. And given that my life is in your hands on nearly a daily basis and the fact I do love you so very much and that you love me too...," She lowered her head and eyes till they met his. "...believe me when I say that they both would heartily approve of... us." He smiled, consoled by her answer and grateful for her honesty.

She stood up and helped him to his feet. She looked around at the bodies covering the ground. "There are too many to just be from the village."

"True, those are definitely not from around here." He said indicating several wearing heavy armor. "Uniforms are from Denerim." He pointed to another group. "Those are probably bandits. I'd bet the mace-weilder is a mercenary. But most look like refugees."

"So, just passers-by, who wandered into the village for supplies or a drink at the tavern and got caught in this corrupted and tainted death trap." She looked over the bodies. "But how? There are no signs of any darkspawn."

Morrigan stiffly walked up to them. "I hate to be the bearer of bad news..."

"Oh, you know that isn't true." Alistair admonished her. "You love bringing bad news and you know it."

"Perhaps, in general, but not this time." She turned back to Kathryn and said lower "Despite the slaughter, we are not yet alone."

"What?" Kathryn said louder than she wanted.

"The houses." Morrigan said. They both turned to look. At first they saw nothing but then the shutters moved slightly. The doors cracked open and through them fearful eyes peaked out at them.

"They aren't ghouls or they would have attacked... survivors?" Kathryn said.

"No." Alistair said shaking his head. "They might be alive but they aren't survivors, not the way you mean it, not like that."

"What do you mean?" Kathryn said confused. Alistair took a deep breath. He knew her and that she wouldn't want to accept what he had to say.

"As long as this place has been exposed to the taint. They are corrupted. They have to be." His face was grim but set. She shook her head.

"You don't know that for certain. They might not be." Kathryn said hopeful.

"We... can't take that risk. If they are and we let them go... it... this all starts over. If they leave, they take it... the taint, with them. Another place becomes this. We can't let that happen. We can't leave this place like this, can't leave them... like they are."

"What are we to do?" She asked.

"Burn it to the ground. All of it... everything... every... thing." He said with emphasis. He didn't want to have to spell it out for her. She looked back to the eyes in the windows.

"There has to be..." she whispered.

"There isn't." He said more forceful and louder than he meant to. She looked to him eyes pleading. His voice softened. "Kathryn... there isn't." She looked away.

"As much as I hate to admit he is right..." Morrigan said quietly.

"They might be able to tell us what happened." Kathryn said not looking back.

"I doubt it. I..." Her head snapped back to catch his eye.

"You what?"

"There was a woman in the cellar of the tavern. She was tainted but more... sane than the others. She said there were no darkspawn but that 'he' brought death to the village. That's all she could tell me." Kathryn considered, looking down to the ground.

"There was a boy in the chantry. He appeared before the rest. He said that he was sorry and then the others attacked." She turned back to him. "You said 'others'... 'more sane than the others'."

"Yes. I did." He admitted. She looked away again. He walked up to her and said low. "I'll do it. I can..."

"No," she said. "We... we do it. But... we don't just burn them." She looked him in the eye. "At least we can make it quick. Maker knows they have suffered enough."

"Yes, we can do that for them." he said, relieved that she understood. He looked around. "Everything is too wet to burn. We will take care of them and then burn it tomorrow." She nodded her head.

The rest of the group sensing that something had been decided, and able and eager to leave, gathered around. She looked back to the group but did not meet any of their eyes. "We need to check out the rest of the village, make sure... it's safe. Everyone go and make camp. We will be there soon." She turned back to face the houses. They looked at each other, not used to being dismissed nor not being told what exactly what was going on. But none of them had the strength or will to question. They shrugged and started towards the highway.

They waited till the rest were out of the village. "Kathryn," he said softly. "I'm sorry. I... wish there was another way."

"Yeah," she said handing him one of her daggers. "Me too."

Alistair closed the door to the tent, even with the extra guard it was hard to relax and feel safe. He took off his armor and laid his weapons aside but within arms reach. He turned to see that Kathryn was nearly undressed but staring at her empty hands. He stepped up behind her, placing his hands on her shoulders. "What is it?" He asked. As she turned her hands over and over before her, she said softly.

"You know, I've lost track of how many people I've killed."

"The ones today didn't count. You didn't kill them, they were already dead." He said matter of fact.

"Why does that feel like an excuse?" He stroked her hair.

"I don't know." He said. "...because it isn't. It's true." He said with as much conviction as he could muster. But he knew that to her, it wasn't true. She blamed herself for not being able to save them even though she knew there was nothing she could have done. He also knew that while part of it was looking into the corrupted and empty eyes of the villagers and doing what she knew she had to. Part of it was what had happened to her parents, what had happened at the castle and how she blamed herself for that too.

After Ostagar, he had been allowed to grieve, to deal with the pain, the grief and the guilt that he carried from that battle while she had stood. He had thought that she was just stronger, that she had somehow been able to deal with the loss of her family in a way he couldn't. But now he could see that she simply hadn't dealt with it at all. Now he could see the cracks, no... that wasn't exactly true. Now he was being allowed to see the cracks, see the strain all this had taken on her, the pain and anguish she hid from the others.

He felt honored that she trusted and confided this in him, that she could be weak and vulnerable in his presence and that perhaps in some small way she could take strength and comfort from him. But it was also scary, for no one had every relied on him like that before. No one had ever wanted or needed his support, or friendship, his caring and his love. He had never been responsible to another person like that. She had encouraged him and given him confidence and a belief in himself he had never had before. And now he wanted so desperately to be there for her, to help her through whatever she had to face, in whatever way he could. He just didn't know how.

She let her hands fall to her sides and turned towards him but kept her eyes to the ground. She said "I don't want to talk about it. I can't think about it, right now. I..." He took her head in his hands and kissed her, fast, hard and passionately. She didn't react and he kissed her again. Then she put up her hands and turned her face away but did not move from him. He stopped but didn't back away. He hoped he had done the right thing. He had been forced to rely on his own instincts before because he had so little experiences in such things and because asking for advice had proved useless. Long moments passed and he was about to let go and apologize when she turned her head back to him and kissed him tenderly at first and then more passionately. After several moments, he stopped and sat down on the bedroll and gently pulled her to him.

"You know..." Zevran mused whimsically as they stood in the middle of the market square. "I would have sworn upon a copy of the chant itself and upon every holy finger bone of Andraste being sold in Denerim's market district that we fought a terrible battle. Here! In this very village! With dozens upon dozens of corrupted flesh-eating ghouls!"

"Yeah," Kathryn said. "Me too." But as she looked around the market square there was no sign of any of them. There were no bodies at all. They were all gone.

"But it did happen!" Leliana said. "We didn't all just dream it, did we?" She said less sure than when she started.

"Something happened." Oghren said as he walked back into the square. "The tavern is burnt and the chantry window is out."

"But, that is damage that we did, not them." Kathryn said.

"All the bodies are gone." Alistair said as he entered the square. "Cellar, houses, everyone, everywhere... gone."

"But how is that even possible... even if you had enough people... there wasn't time to move them... you'd need carts and there would be ruts in the mud... and..." Wynne said. All of them looked around as though the answer was to be found just laying around.

"Is there any proof that they were... real?" Kathryn said really hoping someone had an answer.

"No, no, don't tell me this is some sodding Fade thing!" Oghren said. "Oh, sod it!" He said as he sat down on the ground.

"Wait, I have it!" Zevran shouted and ran off. In a moment he came back with a lit candle nearly burnt out. "Here!" He said as he presented the candle to Kathryn. "This proves they were real."

"The fireball could have lit them." Morrigan said.

"No, it won't." Wynne said. "It doesn't burn long enough. It would knock them over, scorch maybe, but not light them."

"Doesn't mean ghouls or even the boy lit them." Morrigan countered.

"But my dear, that does not matter. All that matters is that something real and not any of us, lit these candles. That... is something." Zevran said.

"Okay," Kathryn said with some relief. "At least we know something happened and someone was here."

"Has anyone considered that perhaps the best plan would be to leave this place quickly? There is little, I can see, to be gained by solving the mystery." Morrigan said.

"Right." Alistair said visably annoyed. "Let's just leave an army's worth of corrupted and tainted bodies missing and a village that is nothing more than a death trap for the next unsuspecting traveler to walk into. So that the entire nightmare can start over again. Trust me... no one except 'YOU' would consider that!"

"I am simply saying that with the importance of the mission we are on, it might be prudent to let someone else handle this particular problem." Morrigan said.

"There 'IS' no someone else! We 'ARE' the someone else!" he said with anger and a bit of grief thrown in. "Our mission is to save the country from the Blight! From the darkspawn horde and from the taint! To stop things like this from destroying the country and corrupting everyone!"

"I..." Morrigan began.

"Morrigan." Kathryn said. "Enough." Morrigan started to respond and then thought better of it.

Kathryn said "We have to find the bodies." She looked around again and then suddenly looked up and turned back to the group. "Everything is always in the last place you look. And... I think I know where that is."


	5. Chapter 5

"What exactly are we hoping to find up here?" Oghren asked.

"Well, I am hoping to find an immense treasure trove filled with coins, gems and valuables of all kinds complete with bed of softest goose down and a feast of wild boar, all guarded by a dozen beautiful women of questionable virtue who have a deep seeded lust for handsome elven assassins, but, I'm always hoping to find that." Zevran said somewhat wistfully.

"Put a lot of thought in to that, have you?" Leliana said.

"How will the Maker know what to give you if you are not specific?" Zevran answered with a shrug.

"Well, fantasies aside, this started with a 'he' who brought death to the village." Kathryn said.

"The boy?" Alistair said.

"No, can't be. He said that when everyone got sick, he hid, watched them die or turn to ghouls. He said he was the last one to be corrupted, and he looked it. Whoever 'he' is, it isn't the boy." She replied.

"One more question, what's up here?" Oghren said out of breath. Kathryn took another couple steps and emerged from the woods to a clearing.

"This." She said. They followed and looked up to the remnants of a ruined watchtower that they could now see was part of a ruined fort. The doors had long since rotted away. Walls that at one point had stood perhaps twenty feet high, were at most no more than ten feet high and at some points no more than four or five. But more importantly, they could see that while at some point the forest had tried to reclaim the fort for itself, all vegetation inside its walls was now dead and corrupted.

Oghren walked over to the watchtower, which was still over three stories high and to the right of the front gates. He looked at the tower, with its lose and crumbling stone, "Huh, human craftsmanship!" he said with all the distaste of spitting out a rotten piece of meat. "This one is about to go. One good storm and probably the whole thing will go down, stone crumbling, wood all dry rotted. Dwarves wouldn't build something like this for nugs."

"Nothing there anyway, there are still vines growing on it." Alistair said as he walked by.

The group entered the barracks, which consisted of a long hall along the back wall of the fort. There was a small fire in the fireplace along the far wall but for the most part the room was dark and empty. All of the beds and furniture had either been removed or rotted away. No doubt animals had used it as a den in the past but not now. The group slowly and cautiously approached the fire. Zevran suddenly pulled out his short bow drawing it back and aiming it into the blackness. "Corner!"

The rest reacted immediately. Kathryn and Leliana drew their bows and moved to the sides, while the warriors unsheathed their weapons and moved front and center. They watched and waited, letting their eyes adjust to the light. The form of a human man crouching with his back to the wall began to appear to them. The form raised its head.

"I knew you would find me, eventually. I'm glad really. If I had any courage I would do it myself, but if I had any courage, none of this would have happened." The man stood but didn't look up. "I suppose you want to know what happened. After all you have done to stop it, you deserve that." He turned to the fire and walked to it, staring into it.

"I was at Ostagar. I was a soldier in the Bann's army. I only joined because I figured it was an easy way to make coin. There hadn't been a war in years. You just walk around and look tough, maybe you fight a bandit or break up a fight in a tavern but there is no real danger, right? Then... a Blight! A Blight! Everyone knows those things aren't real. Just legends and stories mother's tell their children so they will be good.

"But... then it was real and they attacked, and those weren't myths but monsters. They were so horrible, ripping people apart and... laughing and they just kept coming. I... I ran. I just ran. I left them there, all of them, my friends, men I had known all my life. They called for help and I still ran. I ran until I couldn't hear the screams anymore. I just wanted to get back home, get back to this little insignificant village in the middle of nowhere. I just wanted to see my family, to forget all I had seen and heard..." he said pleading. "...but... it followed me."

"What followed you?" Kathryn asked.

"Death." he said. "As soon as I arrived, people started getting sick and dying, dying in pain, screaming. I should have left or killed myself, but I couldn't, not that it would have made any difference. It was too late. They just got sicker and sicker and then turned into those... things. And all I could do was watch."

"How is it that you are still alive?" she asked.

"That was my punishment, for running away from it, from the battle, from my duty. My punishment was for it to follow me and destroy everything, and to watch and know there was nothing I could do to stop it. They tried to run, tried to hide, but it didn't matter. They all died and it's all my fault." His voice hitched and cracked "They all died..." he began to cry, sob into his hands, and then he began to laugh. He turned to them and they could see the corruption that had taken him over. "...and now so will you."

They could hear the ghouls storming into the hall. The warriors spun at the noise and charged. Leliana and Kathryn shot their arrows into the soldier, one through the eye and the other through the heart. The soldier fell. They turned and began firing into the mob.

Morrigan turned into her spider form and crawled onto the ceiling gaining a clear shot of the door and filled it with webbing stopping any more from entering the room. Within moments they had killed all those inside.

"We have to make a break for it." Kathryn said. "Zevran, cut the webbing. Then Sten, get us out of here. On his mark. Are you ready?"

"Yes." Sten said. Zevran took several steps back and ran towards the door.

"Go!" He shouted just as he jumped at the door. Sten started to charge. Zevran slashed the webbing just before Sten hit the ghouls standing in the doorway giving them no time to react. With a growl, he pushed them out of the way. Oghren stepped through right behind him, slashing through those standing and allowing the rest to exit the hall.

Once outside, Kathryn looked around. Dozens of ghouls lined the walls of the fort, standing, waiting. Directly in front of them, a warrior who was no doubt a mercenary raised his mace over his head. "Oh, dear Maker!" Kathryn whispered. "Something is... so... very... wrong."

"Besides the fact that we are now surrounded by another army of ghouls?" Alistair said.

"It isn't another army! It's the same one!" She shouted.

"What?"

"The mace wielding mercenary!" She pointed to the warrior. "The soldiers from Denerim." She pointed to the group off to the left. She looked around and then pointed to another group closer to the wall. "The bandits!"

"No, no... ghouls are tainted, corrupted, dying, but they are living creatures. You can kill them... and they... stay... dead." But then his eye landed on the woman from the cellar. Kathryn looked around, her gaze finally resting on the boy from the chantry standing by the entrance to the fort.

"Someone should inform this group of that fact, quickly." Morrigan said.

Then from behind them, the ghouls they had just fought inside the barracks stepped outside lead by the soldier, arrow still embedded in his eye.

"Nothing pisses me off more than something that doesn't know when to die!" Oghren said.

"This would be an opportune time for a plan B." Zevran said.

Alistair started to mumble to himself "Dear Maker, Dear Andraste, please let this work." He put something into Kathryn's hand and then turned to Wynne grabbing her bag and taking out the three strongest lyrim potions she had.

"What are you doing?" Wynne asked. He looked her in the eye and then turned away continuing to talk to himself.

"Ancestors and anyone else who might be listening, including all the Dalish gods whose names I don't remember, if you can hear me, I need all the help I can get."

"Alistair, what are you doing?" Kathryn asked.

"Magic, it has to be. I don't know if this will work or how long I can keep it up. Normally it doesn't for this... but if strong enough it... has to do... something. So whatever happens... you go." Kathryn didn't understand, didn't want to understand.

"No, I'm not leaving you." She said making sure that he understood that she meant it.

"You have to... there are only two of us... you have to, for all of Ferelden."

"No! We can fight." She said pleading.

"We fight, we all die. Please... do this... for me..." He turned, downing the first lyrim potion.

"What are you doing?!" She yelled. "That's poison!" He kept walking drinking the other two. Not quite as bad as the joining, he thought, but close.

"Please," He asked no one in particular. "...let this do something." Kathryn tried to follow to stop him but Wynne grabbed her arm. Kathryn looked into her hand and there was his mother's amulet.

She looked up in time to see him execute what looked like one of his templar abilities. It appeared to be the one he used to cleanse an area of magic, she thought but yet it wasn't, but it wasn't smite either... but both... but not, but... it was so much more powerful than either. Both Wynne and Morrigan were knocked back.

She looked at the ghouls. They just stood there, no longer looking at them, no longer moving, no longer waiting, no longer threating.

"Go! Now!" She screamed.

He watched from his vantage point from the top of the watchtower as the human male seemed to be trying to cast some type of spell. Then he felt the power of the blast. It pushed him back and nearly brought him to his knees. He stood back up 'Ah,' now he understood. 'Templar.'

'Nice try,' he thought but templar abilities don't affect re-animation spells. He looked back down to the army of ghouls and told them to attack, but they just stood there. They were still re-animated or else they would have fallen to the ground, but somehow whatever the templar had done it was interfering with his control of them. The rest of the group ran past them and out of the fort.

'Impressive,' he thought. The templar had at least saved the others but it didn't matter. There would be more.

He heard something and turned in time to see the dark haired rogue dive over the low wall at the top of the watchtower and roll to the other side and to her feet.

"Welcome." He said as she stood up. "That's a good trick your templar does. Too bad he can only do it once. I really had no idea templars could do that. No doubt, neither did he. He will make a fine captain of my army, and if the lyrim doesn't kill him outright, I promise I'll make it quick. Trust me, after the lyrim gets done with him. He'll be better off. " Kathryn looked at him with eyes calm and full of ice. She said.

"That was a good story the soldier told."

"Yes, it was, that's because it is true, well mostly. At least he thinks it's true or thought it was when he was alive. The part about him running from the battle at Ostagar and coming back here is, but he didn't infect the villagers. He never got close enough to a darkspawn to get tainted and if he had he would have died long before making it here."

"You infected them." she said.

"Oh, yes. I wanted an army of undead. You have no idea how hard it is to be a necromancer in a country that burns its dead. I traveled to Ostagar. I figured after such a battle I could have my pick. Then I discovered the ghouls, stronger, more resilient and after their death much easier to control. And then the blood! You have to use blood magic, of course, nothing else is powerful enough to sustain a whole army of undead and the ghoul's blood is the most powerful I've come across. There is power in that blood, but you already know that, don't you?" He stopped and looked at Kathryn for a moment. Then he continued.

"I saw the coward run and followed him to this wonderful little village. I infected it with the taint and then I watched and waited. Snatching up those unfortunate to wander into the place. And really I must thank you. I was going to have to wait till the taint killed the rest of them, but you have taken care of that for me."

"I was also hoping to get your entire group. They are all very impressive but you and the templar will do. Oh, but you are here to kill me, aren't you?" He smiled. "Do you have any idea how hard it is to kill a necromancer? You can't even hope to fight me, and believe me your skills are impressive but I can kill you before you even draw your weapon. Now the question becomes 'How to do it?' Don't want to do anything to destroy those beautiful features of yours."

"No, you misunderstand. I'm not here to kill you." Kathryn said with a smile that had charmed half the nobles in Thedas. He looked at her curiously. She continued, "I'm the distraction."

He heard a noise as something flew by his head. He looked up to see a flask twisting in the air above him and then an arrow whistled by shattering it. Zevran looked with satisfaction at his toss and raised a hand to Leliana who upon watching the effect of her perfect aim said to herself "Yes, I am 'that' good." As the bottle shattered, its liquid contents rained down upon him. It smelled of piss and vinegar and tasted of... dwarven ale. Oghren watched and while he hated to waste his good ale, in this case he would make an exception.

The mage looked back to Kathryn who had not moved. He heard a noise behind him and turned to see a small boy, tainted and corrupted, standing there and holding a lit candle. The boy dropped it at his feet. The ale instantly ignited.

He raised his arm to cast a spell and an arrow pierced his hand, then another in his arm. He looked up to see Kathryn with fire in her eyes shooting as fast as she could, putting one through his other hand, crippling his leg, piercing his shoulder, into his stomach, shattering his knee, puncturing his chest, through his neck. He heard the fire ball crash below him. Suddenly everything was on fire. Flames shot up from the floor. Kathryn turned and started to make her way to the other side of the platform.

He made it too his feet and began to cast a spell, but then the building began to move. Oghren had been cutting through the key stones, weakening the tower. As it started to buckle, he nodded to Sten. Sten put his hands on the tower wall and with a low growl put everything he had into the push. He heard the brittle wood snap and felt the weakened and broken stone give. The mage was knocked down as the flames overtook him. Kathryn got to the other side. She looked back to the boy and held her hand out for him. He shook his head and turned away. The building continued to shift. She took aim and fired, putting an arrow through the boy's heart. Then she turned and jumped.


	6. Chapter 6

Kathryn quietly entered the tent. Wynne looked up and smiled but just barely. "How is he? Any better?" Kathryn asked. She looked past Wynne to where Alistair was laying. He was sleeping but a restless and tortured sleep. His body was constantly shaking and he was in obvious pain.

"I... think... maybe..." Wynne sighed and looked back to Alistair and then said "...no change." She turned back to Kathryn. "You sure you're alright? That was quite a fall."

"Morrigan has impressive skills as a web weaver. It's actually rather creepy." Wynne winced at her use of the term 'creepy'.

"How did you know the boy wasn't under the mage's control? That you could trust him?" Wynne asked. Kathryn shrugged.

"He never attacked us and we didn't kill him. I think that in the chantry, he was trying to warn us, as best he could with the corruption affecting him. I figured he may be the only one who knew what was actually going on and besides he was just so sad." Kathryn's eyes had not left Alistair.

"I hate to bring this up but... did you find the mage?"

"I had that thought too, but yes, we found him. Burnt him to ash and then divided the ash into four parts burring three in different places and throwing one to the wind, just to be sure."

"Good. How is cleansing the village going?" Wynne asked, making small talk since she didn't want to talk about what she needed to.

"Burning everything to the ground takes a while. The taint makes this odd red and black smoke. It gives everyone something to do while we're waiting on..." Kathryn looked down and then to Wynne. "I have this sneaking suspicion that someone threatened Morrigan." Wynne looked up at her and innocently said.

"What would ever give you that idea?"

"Because she hasn't said anything besides 'yes' or 'no' since the fight and on more than one occasion I've seen her think about speaking and then stop and be silent. That's not like her." Kathryn said with a small smile.

"Well, I can see that since Morrigan has been known to say things that are sometimes not the most... appropriate... especially about a certain person... and given the situation... someone might have mentioned that now was not a good time for such comments and that... if she did make such a comment there may be repercussions that she might not like."

"I see. Well, tell that 'someone' thank you."

"I will." Wynne looked back to Alistair. She didn't want to broach the subject but knew that she had to and she had run out of other topics. She turned back to Kathryn and took her hand. "Kathryn, you know he may never... Lyrim is dangerous and the effects of exposure for a non-mage, even a templar, are nearly always... permanent." Kathryn looked to the ground. Wynne continued. "Dear, there hasn't been any improvement... at all. I've done all I can, all I can think of, but he can't continue like this... the lack of sleep alone will..."

"I'll sit with him for a while. I brought some food too, in case he can eat. Why don't you get some food and get some rest." Kathryn said. Wynne held her hand for another moment and then with a hand on her shoulder and a quick look back to him, she stepped out of the tent.

Wynne walked over to where Oghren was sitting. "She knows someone talked to Morrigan and is grateful and no, I didn't tell her it was you." He nodded but didn't look up.

She made her way to her tent and sat down. Leliana appeared with a bowl. "Here. I made that horrible lamb and pea stew." Wynne took the bowl. Leliana didn't move. "He isn't going to get better, is he?" Wynne meet her eye but didn't say anything. Leliana turned and walked away. After some time, Zevran came up to her.

"May I have a word, my dear Wynne?"

"Zevran, I'm not in the mood for your..."

"She cannot be allowed to be the one that does it." He said with conviction. "And it cannot be allowed to continue to its natural end. You know this, yes?" Wynne looked at him, not being able to process what he was saying or not wanting to.

"I... don't..." she said.

"Then I will spell it out for you." Zevran said. "He will die, maybe tomorrow, maybe the next day, maybe weeks from now, but he will succumb. Now either she will stay by his side and watch his death or she will decide to end it, either way it will be the same as ripping her heart out of her body and she will not survive it, not really. And given the importance of the mission and that she will be the last warden left, we cannot allow either of those things to happen." Wynne knew he was right and nodded. "Now, given my professional experience in such matters, well, no doubt we are beyond the spelling out stage but I will rely upon you to tell me when is best for her."

"For her?" Wynne asked.

"Yes, for him it matters little, only that it is quick and it will be but I doubt that there is much I could do that is worse than what he currently suffers. But for her the timing will be quite critical, she must be ready to let go, as it were."

"Yes, I see." Wynne looked to him, suddenly angry. "How can you speak of this, so... casually, like it is no more to you than lacing up your boots?"

"Oh, my dear you misunderstand. To be sure, I..." Zevran stopped and then though his expression didn't change, his voice had a different quality about it. "To be sure, I do not consider saving another, especially one I consider a... friend immense pain to be a matter equal to the lacing of my boots." Wynne looked away, ashamed of herself. Zevran continued "...and if there was a way I could... but that is not within my power, and the Maker only answers the prayers he chooses to, even if I am willing to forgo the goose-down bed and six of the beautiful women."

"Zevran, I'm sorry. I heard about what you did in the market. It was terribly unkind of me to say that." Zevran smiled, himself again.

"Do not concern yourself with it. Just tell me when." He turned and walked away. Wynne stepped into her tent, she had much to consider.

Kathryn continued to watch him, then unexpectedly he jerked violently and opened his eyes. "It's okay." She said trying to reassure him. "You're safe." He looked around in a near panic.

"Where... not supposed to be here... sisters don't like it if you sneak out..."

"No, we're in camp. You're supposed to be here." Kathryn said. He looked to her questioning.

"Camp? The king's camp... there's a battle tomorrow... have to get ready... where's Duncan?"

"He isn't here." She said.

"But... he said I could compete... he said I could be a Grey Warden... he left without me..." He said crushed and nearly in tears.

"No..." Kathryn said, not sure how to respond to him. "You are a Grey Warden." Alistair closed his eyes, trying to think, trying to remember.

"Grey warden... she's alive... I'm not alone..." He said with great relief.

"Please, just calm down. It's alright."

"Alone... all alone... going to send me away... I don't want..."

"No one is going to send you away."

"Want to... I want give her... something... show her... I feel..."

"Alistair, please." At the sound of his name he looked at her, his gaze steady but his eyes lost.

"Do... I know... you?" Kathryn felt her heart break, but her voice was calm.

"Yes, you know me. I'm a... friend."

"What... happened to me?" He asked. Kathryn took a deep breath.

"You... did an... incredible and brave thing and saved all of us. But now you're... sick..."

"I'm going to... get better?" He asked, she could hear the desperation in his voice.

"Yes. You will." She said with as much conviction as she could fake. "You just need to rest and eat."

"I can't eat... can't sleep... the dreams... dreams are bad... but this is worse..." He calmed as the exhaustion tried to take over. He looked to her and then grabbed her hand and held it as best he could in his shaking ones. He closed his eyes and was quiet for a moment and she knew it was taking all his will to get his thoughts together. He opened them and said.

"I... know you. I don't... remember you but I... know you... in my... heart and... body. But... I can't... remember... I... want to... I want to remember... you, more than anything... I... just... can't..." She touched his cheek.

"It's okay. You will... soon." His eyes lost focus again and he laid back exhausted from the effort. In a moment, he was again sleeping. She began to cry.

Wynne pulled back the flap of the tent. They were both sleeping. Kathryn was quiet and still but her eyes were puffy. Alistair slept his tormented sleep. 'Poor boy,' she thought. He wouldn't make it much longer. He was too young to be her son, for that to have ever been a possibility but in her heart she wished... wished that wherever her son was that he was half the man that Alistair was. Any mother would give their life for their child. His mother had died giving him life, a life he had given to save others, to save those he loved. A life that she might be able to give back to him tonight.

She put her hand gently on his head. She could feel his pain and her own sorrow and also the presence of the spirit. She knew that each time she called forth the spirit, its hold on her weakened and that the more she asked of it, the more it weakened. She had finally worked out how it might be possible to heal him, what would be required, the steps she must take, the specific things that must be done, but even if it was possible, it would take an immense amount of power. In fact, it might take it all. All she had and all of the spirit's help. And she understood that it might be the last thing she ever did... and that was acceptable to her.

She had also determined that if it was impossible, if she couldn't bring him back completely, to what he was before, she would not leave him like this. She could do this and she would do this for him. She knew that it was love, one so powerful and terrible, the love of a mother for their child. And if she did this, no matter the outcome, he would in some small way be her child too. She smiled and then closed her eyes and said. "Please."

Kathryn watched the flames and the ominous red and black smoke coming from the pile of bodies. The village was safe, scorched and leveled but safe. The fort that held the bodies, burned now. All that could be had been reduced to ash. Slowly the smoke turned from red and black to a dark gray. It was over. She turned to the others. "That's all we can do here. We'll pull up camp in the morning."

"But is he..." Oghren asked as gently as he could. They all knew that Alistair was too sick to travel but they also knew that he wasn't getting any better.

Kathryn turned and without answering started back to camp. She couldn't answer him. She had watched him and knew that his mind and body couldn't handle too much more. She had been worried all day. This morning when she woke up, he hadn't been shaking but sleeping peacefully. She wanted to be encouraged, wanted to believe that he was getting better, that he was healing and not that he was... dying. But she was afraid... terribly... horribly... afraid.

They entered camp, Wynne was next to the fire stirring the cooking pot. When she saw them approach, she looked up at Kathryn. Kathryn could see that something was wrong. "Wynne, what is it?"

"Hello!" came a voice from the other side of the camp. Alistair and Leliana appeared from the brush. He was carrying something big on his shoulders. They all hurried to meet them. As they approached, he threw down in front of them a wild boar. Leliana had several game birds, a bag full of winter berries and a bunch of wild fennel in her arms.

They looked to him, astonished to not only see him up but looking strong and healthy. Finally Zevran broke the stunned silence "You bagged that!"

"Yes," he said "Don't sound so surprised."

"The truth of it..." Leliana said. "... is that he was tracking a deer when it attacked."

"I killed it, didn't I? Still counts." he said. "So, now, we have a feast."

"Oh, no." She said to him. "Not touching this with any of your Ferelden cooking. This one is on me. Sten need your butchering skills." Sten grabbed the animal and started back to the fire. Leliana discretely got the attention of the others and indicated that they should follow, leaving Alistair and Kathryn alone.

Alistair waited till the rest were out of earshot. Then he looked to her, cocking his head to the side and with a questioning look said "It's Kathryn, right?" She wanted to say something clever or meaningful or funny or beautiful but found she had no voice at all. She just smiled. "And, I think you have something of mine." She took the amulet from around her neck and held it out for him. Instead he took her hand in his and then with a quick tug pulled her to him. He put his arm around her, much lower on her hip than was respectable and kissed her.

The rest of the group had been watching but trying to be discrete about it. Now they turned and stared, smiling in relief and approval.

"I guess at least you get your wild boar... have to wait on the rest." Oghren said.

"Oh, well." Zevran said, as he watched the two wardens. "Right now, I believe me and the Maker are about even."

"Yeah," Oghren agreed. "Although, if you do ever find..."

"...with a deep seeded lust for... bearded dwarven warriors? You shall be the first to know, my friend." Zevran smiled.


End file.
